CANADA, October 21 - Young people on the Sunshine Coast will soon have access to much-needed mental-health and substance-use supports through a new Foundry centre.
Once open, Foundry Sunshine Coast will offer young people 12-24 and their families welcoming and appropriate services to fit their unique needs, such as drop-in counselling, medical care, youth and family peer support, and social services.
“A new Foundry centre on the Sunshine Coast will give young people a safe and judgment-free space to find mental-health, wellness and substance-use supports right in their own community,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “B.C. is happy to fund and partner with Sunshine Coast Community Services to help local young people get the help they need.”
There are 13 Foundry centres throughout the province in Vancouver-Granville, North Shore (North Vancouver), Campbell River, Ridge Meadows, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Prince George, Victoria, Penticton, Richmond, Terrace, Comox Valley and Langley.
“We are heartened by the commitment of the Foundry Sunshine Coast team to ensure that young people have access to health and wellness services,” said Steve Mathias, executive director, Foundry. “We are excited to welcome Sunshine Coast to our growing network of Foundry centres and to work alongside our partners and the young people here to create a centre that will be welcoming, inclusive and will meet young people wherever they are.”
The Province will be providing annual funding for operations and services at Foundry Sunshine Coast, as well as one-time funding of $1 million to establish the centre.
An additional nine new Foundry centres are in development in Burns Lake, East Kootenay (Cranbrook), Port Hardy, Sea to Sky (Squamish), Surrey, Cariboo-Chilcotin (Williams Lake), Fort St. John, Tri-Cities and Kamloops. In addition, Foundry services can be accessed from anywhere in the province through Foundry Virtual BC, which can be accessed by app, phone or at foundrybc.ca/virtual.
Enhancing supports for young people living with mental-health and substance-use needs is an integral part of A Pathway to Hope, B.C.’s roadmap for building a comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care for British Columbians.
Quotes:
Catherine Leach, executive director, Sunshine Coast Community Services, lead agency for Foundry Sunshine Coast –
“As a community, we came together and worked collaboratively to bring Foundry to the Sunshine Coast. Today, we are overjoyed to see that work come to fruition and to know that youth will have improved, local access to youth-directed services that will meet their needs for support.”
Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast –
“The opening of Foundry Sunshine Coast is very significant for our community. Young people will be able to reach out to skilled and helpful staff for the kinds of services they need to support their mental health and wellness”.
Marilyn Baines, community advocate and caregiver –
“As a grandmother parenting teenagers on the Sunshine Coast during these challenging times, I extend overwhelming thanks as I see Foundry providing positive and exciting local solutions, services and wellness opportunities for our youth and their families.”
Learn More:
Learn about A Pathway to Hope, government’s vision for mental-health and addictions care in B.C.: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021MMHA0049-001787
Foundry: https://foundrybc.ca/
Sunshine Coast Community Services: https://www.sccss.ca/
